Category: Pastoral Letters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, we celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos. The large icon on the south side of the back wall of the church sanctuary depicts this great feast. Though the Church has piously celebrated this event from the earliest of centuries, we are reminded that there is no scriptural reference to the birth, infancy, or childhood of the Virgin. I offer to you the commentary of Fr. Thomas Hopko concerning this feast, and its historical significance. 

In addition to the celebration of the Annunciation, there are three major feasts in the Church honoring Mary, the Theotokos. The first of these is the feast of her nativity which is kept on the eighth of September.

The record of the birth of Mary is not found in the Bible. The traditional account of the event is taken from the apocryphal writings which are not part of the New Testament scriptures. The traditional teaching which is celebrated in the hymns and verses of the festal liturgy is that Joachim and Anna were a pious Jewish couple who were among the small and faithful remnant—“the poor and the needy”—who were awaiting the promised messiah. The couple was old and childless. They prayed earnestly to the Lord for a child, since among the Jews barrenness was a sign of God’s disfavor. In answer to their prayers, and as the reward of their unwavering fidelity to God, the elderly couple was blessed with the child who was destined, because of her own personal goodness and holiness, to become the Mother of the Messiah-Christ.

Your nativity, O Virgin, has proclaimed joy to the whole universe. The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, has shone from you, O Theotokos. By annulling the curse he bestowed a blessing. By destroying death he has granted us eternal life.

Apolytikion

By your nativity, O most pure virgin, Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness; Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the Nourisher of our Life.

Kontakion

The fact that there is no Biblical verification of the facts of Mary’s birth is incidental to the meaning of the feast. Even if the actual background of the event as celebrated in the Church is questionable from an historical point of view, the divine meaning of it “for us men and for our salvation” is obvious. There had to be one born of human flesh and blood who would be spiritually capable of being the Mother of Christ, and she herself had to be born into the world of persons who were spiritually capable of being her parents.

The feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, therefore, is a glorification of Mary’s birth, of Mary herself and of her righteous parents. It is a celebration as well of the very first preparation of the salvation of the world. For the “Vessel of Light,” the “Book of the Word of Life,” the “Door to the Orient,” the “Throne of Wisdom” is being prepared on earth by God Himself in the birth of the holy girl-child Mary.

The verses of the feast are filled with titles for Mary such as those in the quotations above. They are inspired by the message of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The specific Biblical readings of the feast give indications of this.

At Vespers the three Old Testamental readings are “mariological” in their New Testamental interpretation. Thus, Jacob’s Ladder which unites heaven and earth and the place which is named “the house of God” and the “gate of heaven” (Gen 28.10–17) are taken, to indicate the union of God with men which is realized most fully and perfectly—both spiritually and physically—in Mary the Theotokos, Bearer of God. So also the vision of the temple with the “door ‘to the East’” perpetually closed and filled with the “glory of the Lord” symbolizes Mary, called in the hymns of the feast “the living temple of God filled with the divine Glory” (Ezek 43.27–44.4). Mary is also identified with the “house” which the Divine Wisdom has built for himself according to the reading from Proverbs 9.1–11.

The Gospel reading of Matins is the one read at all feasts of the Theotokos, the famous Magnificat from Saint Luke in which Mary says: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1.47).

The epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy is the famous passage about the coming of the Son of God in “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man” (Phil 2.5–11) and the gospel reading is that which is always read for feasts of the Theotokos—the woman in the crowd glorifies the Mother of Jesus, and the Lord himself responds that the same blessedness which his mother receives is for all “who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11.27–28).

Thus, on the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, as on all liturgical celebrations of Christ’s Mother, we proclaim and celebrate that through God’s graciousness to mankind every Christian receives what the Theotokos receives, the “great mercy” which is given to human persons because of Christ’s birth from the Virgin.

Please remember that Sunday School begins tomorrow. Pray for the sanctification of this new school year, and for the protection of all our beloved children in the Lord.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Yes, Happy New Year, indeed!

No, I do not have my dates mixed up, nor am I looking at the wrong month of the calendar. This Sunday, September 1, 2024, is actually the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year.

Also known as the Feast of the Indiction, it represents the resetting of the Church Calendar, and the beginning of the cycle of spiritual commemorations in the lives of Orthodox Christians. All of these feasts and celebrations are actually bookended between the Nativity of the Theotokos on September 8th, and the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th. Our knowledge of, our exposure to, our interaction with, and our identity in Christ is made possible through the ministry of the Mother of God. 

“Indiction” is a Latin word meaning “to impose.” It was originally used in this context upon the schedule of the Roman Government issuing taxes. It was the beginning of the Roman fiscal quarter, in that before the Julian Calendar, Rome started their New Year in September. The date of September 1st takes on a religious identity when in the year 312, the Emperor Constantine sees a vision of the Cross in the sky, thusly inspiring him to unify the Empire under the banner of the Cross. 

On September 1st, this significant day of “beginnings,” Our Lord Jesus Christ walked into the Synagogue (Luke 4:16-22), opened the scroll, and read out loud for all to hear, and for all to see: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The Lord proclaims His divinity, He establishes His ministry, He articulates what He’ll accomplish, and He introduces hope to a darkened, hardened, and wandering world. 

Sundy is the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year. Let’s treat it as would the secular New Year – but with a heightened sense of purpose. 

Set new goals for yourself – not career goals or academic goals, but goals for a more robust prayer life.

Make New Year’s Resolutions – but not to exercise more or diet, but to practice more acts of kindness and generosity.

Anticipate what is to come – but not just birthdays, holidays and anniversaries – worship services, retreats, Bible Studies, Lent, Holy Week, Pascha!

This Sunday, the Church hits that big “Reset Button.” We start anew, and we forge into the unknown. We honor the past as we look to the future. We take new steps, and we take them boldly – as Christ proclaimed His earthly ministry through the words of the Prophet. May this day…may this Year, bring you countless blessings and a closer relationship with our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Happy New Year!

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Having just celebrated the Dormition or Falling Asleep of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, the Church remains this great mystery in our hearts as the official Leave Taking of the Feast is on August 23rd. In the continued spirit of this great Festival, I would like to share an article on the Dormition that I very much enjoyed and appreciated. Written by Dr. Philip Kariatsis, Sub-Dean and Associate Professor of Theology at St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney, Australia, it brilliantly describes the grand themes, and delicate subtilties of the falling asleep of the Mother of God.

Enjoy… 

Without doubt in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, “our glorious Lady Theotokos,” has a pre-eminent place in the life of the Orthodox Church. The month of August, for example, is dedicated to the Virgin Mother, not to mention other great feasts that are celebrated throughout the entire liturgical year. Not only do we celebrate the Dormition (or Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos[1] in August, but there are Supplication Services which are held every day in the first two weeks of this month leading to the great feast, as well as the designated period of fasting which the Church has prescribed. This betrays both the great devotion attributed to the blessed Mother personally by the faithful of the Church throughout the ages—and rightly so, since we read in the Gospel according to St Luke: “Surely, from now on, all generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48)—and the extent to which her person has infused Orthodox spirituality.

In celebrating the Dormition (or “Falling Asleep”) of the Mother of God, it is very often thought that the Church honors the ‘end’ of Mary’s life. Looking however at the various hymns ascribed to this day, we discover that it is the very beginning of her life that is celebrated—namely, her entrance into eternal blessedness! This inexplicable and wondrously paradoxical notion of death as entrance into life permeates the entire hymnology of this significant Feast Day: The Vesperal hymns, for example, begin with, “Marvel at the wondrous paradox  [Ὤ τοῦ παραδόξου θαύματος…], the fount of our life has been laid within a tomb; [and yet] her tomb has become a ladder to heaven above.”[2] Moreover, in the dismissal hymn [Apolytikion] of the Feast, the Church sings: “In your falling asleep, O Theotokos… you were transported to life [Ἐν τῇ κοιμήσει… μετέστης πρὸς τὴν ζωήν].”[3]

In depicting the events leading to Mary’s dormition, the Doxastikon of the Orthros Service begins with this seemingly non-sensical notion that, in the case of the Virgin Mother, death, is “deathless”: “At you deathless Dormition [Τῇ ἀθανάτῳ σου Κοιμήσει…], O Theotokos and Mother of Life, clouds caught the Apostles up into the air; and, from being dispersed throughout the world, they were reunited before your immaculate body.”[4] In observing this important Feast Day to the Theotokos, we see that death becomes the means through which the Virgin Mother truly lives. It is precisely for this reason, that the Dormition is cause for celebration, cheer, merriment, and solemn joy since we see the reality of life beyond the grave.  

Reflecting a little further we see that, whereas death and life are irreconcilable notions for the world, for our Virgin Mother, on the other hand, death is but a gateway through which she enters into the unfading and resplendent Light of eternity; there, to be forever reunited with her Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Indeed, there, forever to pray on our behalf to her Son and Saviour of the world for the salvation of our souls. The profoundly beautiful Doxastikon of Vespers—sung in all the eight tones of Byzantine chant—asks:

as you now live forever with the life-bearing King who is your Son, intercede unceasingly [πρέσβευε διηνεκῶς], that He may guard us, your children, and that He may save us from every hostile assault, since we are under your protection.[5]

If by the Cross of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection from the dead, death is conquered and the victory of undying life is universally bestowed upon the world, in the person of the Virgin Mother we behold this abiding and boundless gift of unending blessedness personally received, embraced and appropriated by Mary in her life. Indeed, having lived her entire life in the presence of, and united—heart and soul—with her Son and Savior, her “death” was shown to be a final passageway, a culminating moment for that which she truly longed—forever to be with her Son and Savior of the world.   

The Feast Day of the Dormition is a most compelling reminder of the hope with which we too are called to live, in this transient and fleeting life. In the same way that, in the case of the Virgin Mother, death was experienced as life, so too can this become our experience as well in our “final” moments here on earth. That is to say, in having the Mother of God as our pre-eminent example in this life—to the extent that She truly embodies what it means to live a Christ-loving and Christ centered life—we too are able to live with the future hope of our Lord’s gift and promise of unending life to us, to the extent, of course, that we truly desire and seek to live by His love—in all that we do—in this life.

Through her “death,” the Virgin Mother provides the much-needed confidence and conviction that death can in fact become an act of truly living for all. What’s more, death need not be understood as that harrowing moment when we are plunged into soul-destroying darkness and horrifying non-existence; on the contrary, our physical death, as it was for our Virgin Mother, so it can become for us, a passageway into life and into our Lord’s eternal kingdom where His loving presence and embrace will forever reign; and where His unfading and resplendent light with eternally shine.

The saints of the Church, for whom Christ was literally, truly everything—and here we are reminded of St Porphyrios who would often say, “ὁ Χριστός εἶναι τό πᾶν [Christ is everything]”—death was precisely seen in these terms. And so, for example, St Ignatius the God-bearer (d. ca 110AD), upon his impending death, urged his disciplines not to prevent him from dying at his impending martyrdom. In accord—one could say—with the Virgin Mary’s vision of death, in his letter to the Romans, St Ignatius wrote in a profoundly powerful way about death as true life:

hinder me not from living, do not wish to keep me in a state of death; and while I desire to belong to God, do not give me over to the world. Allow me to obtain the pure light [μὴ ἐμκοδίσητέ μοι ζῆσαι, μὴ θελήσητέ με ἀποθανεῖν τὸν Θεὸν θέλοντα εἶναι, κόσμῳ μὴ χαρίσητε. Ἄφετέ με καθαρὸν φῶς λαβεῖν]. [6]

It is precisely for this reason that, in quietly pondering the significance of the Dormition, may we be reminded of, and discern, the “deathlessness of death”; may we be overcome with an intense sense of calm and serenity; joy and blessedness; delight and radiance, beholding death not as a departure and farewell, but, in the case of the Mother of God, her entrance—and by extension ours as well—into the gift of eternal blessedness and life everlasting. In the end, may we also be emboldened to behold death not as separation and rupture but union with Christ and His kingdom. 

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[1] Even though the historical origins of the feast are vague, already before 500AD, it was being celebrated on the 15 August. It was in the seventh century, that the Byzantine Emperor Maurice officially designated 15 August as the day for celebrating the Dormition of the Theotokos.

[2] The first of the ‘Automela’ hymns in the Vespers on the eve of 15 August sung immediately after «Κύριε ἐκέκραξα πρὸς σε, εἰσάκουσόν μου…», “Lord, I have cried to You; hear me…”. Cited in https://dcs.goarch.org/goa/dcs/h/s/2024/08/14/ve/gr-en/index.html (accessed 13 August 2024).

[3] Apolytikion of the Feast. Cited in https://dcs.goarch.org/goa/dcs/h/s/2024/08/14/ve/gr-en/index.html (accessed 13 August 2024).

[4] Doxastikon of the Orthros Service of the Feast sung immediately before the Great Doxology.

[5] The part of the Doxastikon of the Vespers Service of the Feast cited is that excerpt which is sung in the plagal fourth tone.

[6] St Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Roman 6,PG 5: 692BC.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray you are all enjoying a blessed and amazing day. As we approach the final weekend of July, let us turn our prayerful attention to our preparations for the Dormition of the Theotokos. We have continued to plan the Paraklesis Services to be outside, as in our past few years. However, please be advised, and I hope you are not disappointed, that we are moving the services for at least the first week of the Fast back inside the church.

My family and I will be out of town from July 30th through August 9, as we participate in our Project Mexico home build, then spend a couple days in San Diego doing, well, NOTHING! While it is completely rare for a priest to be out of town as the Dormition Fast begins, with all of our other activities of the Summer (Camp Emmanuel, Clergy/Laity, Finalized Construction, Thyranoixia and hosting three Hierarchs), we had to choose the latest building slot.

The weather is still going to be hot, and I don’t feel right asking Fr. Elias to move the church outdoors. He is most helpful and gracious enough, no need to pile on additional tasks. We will play it by ear and move our Paraklesis Services outdoors if and when comfortable and appropriate. That said, I really do enjoy praying these services out in our garden. 

I would also like to thank others who were not properly mentioned last week for their financial support of our Thyranoixia Weekend. Steve & Elaina Simos and Bruce & Shari Lindsay were instrumental in our successful events. Bruce was also most helpful as our volunteer Public Relations Director, as he wrote and sent press releases to all local media concerning our Opening.

And wow, we enjoyed wonderful coverage! 

Tomorrow, directly following the Divine Liturgy, we will pray for our Project Mexico Team. Our Mission Team consists of 16 people, primarily comprised of St. Anna parishioners, with one from Holy Trinity Cathedral. This is the third time our parish has sent a team to Project Mexico, and the fifth time we have supported a complete home build. Please keep us in your personal prayers as well; that we arrive and return safely, and that our work site will be without incident. The work isn’t dangerous, per se, but it is an active construction site with the possibility of injury constantly lurking. 

And most especially, please pray for the families who receive the homes that we build, and the families who await such a gift. We will not cure poverty in a week, but to the Glory of God, we will lessen its grip for a single, worthy family.  

Lastly, since this message is turning out to be more a string of announcements than a pastoral letter, we have established the beginning of our St. Anna Sunday School Year to begin Sunday, September 8th, 2024. This is later than we wanted, but again, this summer has been uniquely busy. Registration is upon us. We look forward to our young people once again, engaging in their spiritual formation and faithful education. God bless our teachers, administration and students!!!

See you tomorrow at the Divine Liturgy. Enjoy the rest of this lovely day. I remain,

With Much Love in XC,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am so grateful to address you following the momentous occasion of our Thyranoixia. The parish council and I thought it important to respond to the Archbishop’s three-year-old promise to return to St. Anna’s and open the doors of our finished church. Perhaps he did not think it would be done this quickly. To be sure, I didn’t imagine that the entire building would be done this quickly! Nevertheless, there we stood, and here we are. 

But my beloved in the Lord, we are now ready to turn our past construction project into its intended purpose: a source of healing, a place of comfort, a protection against evil, a gathering place for the Faithful, a beacon of hope, a witness to glory, a backdrop of fellowship, and primarily, our house of worship.

Well done, good and faithful servants. Enter into the glory of your Lord. 

So now that we have celebrated the opening of the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, let us turn to St. Anna, Herself. Remember? Her Feast is right around the corner.

We decided to forego a parish picnic this year (for the glaringly obvious reason of just having celebrated two, massive banquets) and are left with the liturgical commemorations that come with the season. Next week, we will have three, glorious days dedicated to our Matron Saint:

Wednesday, July 24th at 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Artoclasia (Blessing of Five Loaves) for the Feast of the Dormition of St. Anna, the Ancestor of Christ.

Thursday, July 25th, Orthros at 9:00 am followed by the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition of St. Anna, the Ancestor of Christ.

Friday, July 26th at 7:00 pm, Monthly Paraklesis to St. Anna, our Matron Saint and Protectress of our Community. 

It is so important that we come together and worship during these sacred days – especially on Thursday morning, if at all possible. C’mon Folks, it’s our Name Day!!!

Now, turning back to the events of last weekend, when you read this week’s Bulletin, you will see a list of thank you’s for so many of you, who made the weekend the flawless string of events that it was. Really, every hierarch said it, every visiting priest said it, hopefully you feel the same way, it really could not have gone more smoothly. The months of preparation and our respect for every detail certainly paid off. And to all you, I am grateful. 

And to everyone who came and participated, I thank you. When I first published the “save the date” flyer, I couldn’t help but wonder, will our people be able to come? It will be hot. Families will be traveling, there is a neighboring Greek Festival…reason after reason…will we turn out?” And there you were, a packed church (with the additional seating installed) for both Vespers and the Liturgy. Thank you for recognizing the historical significance and the spiritual benefit of our gathering. 

I would also like to thank our benefactors and underwriters for the weekend. Hosting the visiting hierarchs and archdeacon in our city and welcoming the multitudes for non-ticketed banquets can add up to a significant, unbudgeted amount. The numbers are not final, for travel expenses are still unsent, but there are two realities at play here: firstly, we were able to celebrate these events with a lower cost than expected. Secondly, the generosity of our parish continued to shine in preparation for these events. The parish received over $25,000 in financial and in-kind contributions. I would like to thank the following individuals and companies for their much-appreciated assistance:

Presto Print

Starks Funeral Parlor

The St. Anna Philoptochos

The St. Anna Parish Council

The St. Anna Men’s Ministry

The Fishing Net Collection from our Parish Retreat

Leo and Ludmila Davis

Jane Anne Hartford

Pam Martinez

Dn. John and Julie Kavas

George Karpakis

Reinje Corbett

Elaine Zambos

Jonathan and Georgia Man

Kevin Flanagan

Beverly Bartel

Dr. Charles and Elizabeth Beck

Joe and Ann Sasich

Sloane Benson

Jon and Brandee Mau

Joe and Myra Varanakis

Charles and Chris Deneris

Chris and Suzanne Gamvroulas

Fr. Anthony and Andrea Savas

Steve and Myra Shenk

Chris and Irene Petrogeorge

Chris and Heidi Gounaris

Elias and Rose Pylidis

Kent and Jannette Knolwley

Dean Dinas

Chris and Joanne Dokos

Steven and Sylvia Manios

Everyone who contributed to the free-will offerings

If I have left anyone off of this list, please contact me personally. I would be remiss in not recognizing your love and generosity. In the middle of the summer, when contributions universally dip, you all responded aboundingly to the call. There will be a minimal hit to the overall operating budget of our parish because of your efforts to underwrite much of the weekend. 

For many years, you have listened to my words, read my emails, heard my announcements, and have endured the realities of acquiring property and building a church. I trust and pray, that all of those communications included what is important: Christ. His Church. His Ministry. His Building. His Gospel. His Saving Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection. Now, there are no words left in terms of construction (except for a few, lingering details, here and there). 

There is now only: Christ. His Church. His Ministry. His Building. His Gospel. His Saving Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection – and how these bedrock Truths will save the people. We are officially onto and into the next chapter of this young community’s history. We are quickly approaching our Ten-Year Anniversary. What will those ten years look like? Who will we serve? Who will we help? How many will learn to bow down to the Triune God and witness the glory? How many will be introduced to the sacramental life of the Church? Who will be touched by the Holy Spirit? 

Lastly, please permit me to express my gratitude for serving as your priest. Nine years ago, my family moved back home to Salt Lake City to minister to a new, mission parish that was filled with joy, faith, anticipation, and an infectious welcoming spirit. Every moment serving you has been a tremendous honor and has been spiritually inspired. I love, respect and treasure every individual and family attached to St. Anna’s. Thank you for your patience, guidance and support of my ministry in Christ, here in your midst.

Past ten years…wow.

Next ten years…future-wow! 

With an Abundance of Blessings and Gratitude,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

God Bless!

Please be prayerfully aware and mark next weekend in your calendars. The most historically significant events in the life of our young community will unfold in just a few short days. 

On Friday, July 12th, we will welcome His Eminence Archbishop Elpidiophoros of America, His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, and His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Amastris who will participate in the formal opening of the doors of our new church. That evening, the hierarchs will attend a private dinner with the parish council and president of our Philoptochos. I would like to thank Chris and Suzanne Gamvroulas for hosting us on Friday evening. 

On Saturday morning at 11:00 am

We will host an open forum for our parish young adults and older teens, with our visiting hierarchs. This will give the future of our church the opportunity to pick the brains and examine the experiences of three dynamic bishops. Thank you to Presbytera Andrea for putting this event together.

Saturday Afternoon at 5:30 pm, COME ONE AND COME ALL 

We will gather outside in the parking lot were the SERVICE of THYRANOIXIA (Opening the Doors) will take place. This is a brief service with specific Epitsle and Gospel Readings, prayers for the Blessing of the Waters and prayers to formally recognize the opening of a new Orthodox Church. The Archbishop will then cut the ribbon on the doors, and we enter as he blesses our new and sacred space. Once inside, we will celebrate Great Vespers with the Archbishop presiding, together with the other hierarchs and guest clergy. 

We will then gather on the south patio of our lovely grounds for a celebratory dinner! We have the space, we’ll prepare the food, and we’ll roll out more tables if necessary. Please, you do not want to miss this joyous occasion! Don’t miss out! There is no set cost, and certainly to tickets required. You’ll have the opportunity to make a free-will offering if you’d like. Of course, any assistance will be greatly appreciated and go towards the overall (and well worth it) expenses of hosting three bishops, the archdeacon, and the visiting chanter, the internationally renowned Protopsaltis, Nektarios Antoniou. 

Thank you to Elaine Peterson, the Men’s Ministry and their committee for hosting our lovely dinner. 

Sunday, Morning at 9:00 am

The Orthros begins at 9:00, followed by the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Archbishop of America. This is history for us. This is a great honor for us. This will be a joy beyond description. 

I do recommend getting to church as early as possible, and for many of you, being there as Orthros begins might be a fantastic idea. With Archbishop Elpidophoros celebrating, together with two other hierarchs, the dazzling spectacle of Byzantine liturgical splendor will be on full display – almost from the get-go! There will be sacred movements and actions that might not ever be seen within our sanctuary again. I cannot say when there will ever be three bishops, including the archbishop in one day. 

To be sure, it will be a long day, but Archbishop Elpidophoros tends to move things along, and I am very sure he won’t drag things out this time. It’s not about “getting a good seat,” remember, there is no bad place to sit at St. Anna’s. It’s more about soaking in the entire experience and not missing out on new and exciting things to see, and opportunities for blessings.

Following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, we will gather in our fellowship hall and on the north patio for a celebratory luncheon in honor of our visiting hierarchs and guests. Again, free-will offerings are appreciated to help defray the costs of the luncheon. Thank you to Barbara Hillas and her crew for heading up this effort. 

My Beloved in Christ, I cannot believe that we are at this point in our history. At the end of next month, we will celebrate our 10th Anniversary as a parish. In that short amount of time, you have ushered steady growth, you have purchased property, you have transformed a retail warehouse into a proper place of worship equipped with classrooms, a bookstore, clergy office, fellowship space, new restrooms, and a full commercial kitchen. All in less than ten years! God has richly blessed us, and now it is our responsibility to put every square inch of our church building and grounds to work for the Glory of God, for the spiritual benefit of His children, and for the good of our neighbors and greater community.

We are now basically out of the construction business. Congratulations, God bless you and thank you! You have all worked so hard and sacrificed so much. Let next weekend be the beginning of countless memories and sanctifying blessings received within the sacred walls and grounds of the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy, Utah. I remain,

With Much Love and Appreciation in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

This will be the last time I address you in my weekly message with the Christian, Clarion Call that Christ as indeed, risen from the dead. As the weeks of Pascha have continued to speedily press on, this coming Thursday, August 13th will be the 40th Day following our Lord’s divine and life-giving Resurrection. In other words, this coming Thursday, we will commemorate the Feast of our Lord’s Ascension.  Please, allow me to share what Fr. Thomas Hopko wrote in the first volume of his series on Orthodox teachings. This, from his study of the Nicene Creed in Book I, Orthodox Spirituality:

After His resurrection from the dead Jesus appeared to men for a period of forty days after which He “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God”.

Mk 16.19; see also Lk 24.50 and Acts 1.9–11

The ascension of Jesus Christ is the final act of His earthly mission of salvation. The Son of God comes “down from heaven” to do the work which the Father gives Him to do; and having accomplished all things, He returns to the Father bearing for all eternity the wounded and glorified humanity which He has assumed (see e.g. Jn 17).

The doctrinal meaning of the ascension is the glorification of human nature, the reunion of man with God. It is indeed, the very penetration of man into the inexhaustible depths of divinity.

We have seen already that “the heavens” is the symbolical expression in the Bible for the uncreated, immaterial, divine “realm of God” as one saint of the Church has called it. To say that Jesus is “exalted at the right hand of God” as Saint Peter preached in the first Christian sermon (Acts 2.33) means exactly this: that man has been restored to communion with God, to a union which is, according to Orthodox doctrine, far greater and more perfect than that given to man in his original creation (see Eph 1–2).

Man was created with the potential to be a “partaker of the divine nature,” to refer to the Apostle Peter once more (2 Pet 1.4). It is this participation in divinity, called theosis (which literally means deification or divinization) in Orthodox theology, that the ascension of Christ has fulfilled for humanity. The symbolical expression of the “sitting at the right hand” of God means nothing other than this. It does not mean that somewhere in the created universe the physical Jesus is sitting in a material throne.

The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of Christ’s ascension in terms of the Jerusalem Temple. Just as the high priests of Israel entered the “holy of holies” to offer sacrifice to God on behalf of themselves and the people, so Christ the one, eternal and perfect High Priest offers Himself on the cross to God as the one eternal, and perfect, Sacrifice, not for Himself but for all sinful men. As a man, Christ enters (once and for all) into the one eternal and perfect Holy of Holies: the very “Presence of God in the heavens.”

. . . we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God . . . (Heb 4.14)

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. . . . He has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifice daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once and for all when he offered up himself.

Now, the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle which is set up not by man but by the Lord (Heb 7.26; 8.2).

For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Heb 9.24).

. . . when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet (Heb 10.12–13; Ps 110.1).

Thus, the ascension of Christ is seen as man’s first entry into that divine glorification for which He was originally created. The entry is made possible by the exaltation of the divine Son who emptied Himself in human flesh in perfect self-offering to God.

Please, my beloved brothers and sisters, gaze more fervently, with a greater focus, and with a heightened sense of spiritual appreciation, upon the large icon of the Ascension on the northern ceiling panel of the St. Anna Altar. Place yourselves with the Disciples, in wonderment, confusion, a return to sadness and a feeling of repeated abandonment. Place yourself with the Theotokos, seeing her precious Son rising into the clouds, and taking his rightful place, enthroned once again at the right hand of the Father. Place yourself with the Angels, heralding, proclaiming, escorting and witnessing, during this dazzling spectacle.  And indeed, see yourself in Christ Jesus. Because to be sure, He rose into the heavens, to demonstrate that we are no longer tethered to the ground and destined for a grave. We were created to dwell with Him forever, inheritors of the Kingdom, children of the Father, members of His Body.

Please join us in prayer on Thursday, June 13th. Orthros is at 9:00 am followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.

And then, just as quickly, ten days later, our attention will be called toward the south ceiling of the Altar – to the Feast of Pentecost. 

With Much Love in our Lord Who is Ascend on the 40th Day,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!

I trust and pray that you have enjoyed the blessings of a lovely week and you are looking forward to an amazing summer. Our entire community will continue to be in my prayers that you all remain safe during your travels, activities and events in the coming months. Summer is a time of refreshment and rejuvenation. It is also a time to remain close to the Church, actively worship, to remain focused in prayer, and aware of God’s love for us. 

Tomorrow, following the Divine Liturgy and celebration of our graduating seniors, we will go quickly into the social hall and begin our Spring Parish Assembly. This is the time we come together as the formal voice of the parish and conduct the administrative responsibilities of the community. This Assembly is for everyone who calls St. Anna their spiritual home. Those who can vote must be active Stewards in good standing with the Church. Please stick around for this most informative meeting. We promise to move it along as quickly as possible.

Tomorrow evening, we look forward to our Sunday School’s end of year BBQ and Advancement Party. God bless our youth, teachers, director, and parents for sustaining and growing this vital ministry. 

Next Saturday, we are excited to begin the activities of our Philoptochos with their Membership Tea. Our local chapter is active, vibrant, enthusiastic, generous and very productive.  

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Established in November 1931 by the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I, it has been providing philanthropic aid for over 90 years through a variety of programs in the United States and around the world. Its mission is to assist the poor, destitute, hungry, aged, sick, unemployed, orphaned, imprisoned, widowed, those with disabilities, and victims of disasters. The society has 26,000 members and nearly 450 active chapters nationwide, and in 2023, it distributed $1.8 million in philanthropic aid.

Since the late 1950s, the society has placed increased emphasis on implementing programs to benefit the Greek Orthodox community, including support for Church institutions, the philanthropies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and assistance to Greek and Greek Orthodox families. It has also addressed various social and moral issues through committees focusing on topics such as child abuse prevention, domestic violence, homelessness, pornography, drug and alcohol abuse, and aging.

This is just a little bit of what is happening in the very near future. And looking to our immediate past, like, this morning, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Sam Soter and his entire committee for an incredibly successful and extremely fun St. Anna’s 5th Annual Golf Classic Tournament. Great time! Great Cause! Huge Effort! Thank you to all our volunteers, sponsors and golfers. 

With Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

I trust and pray that you and your families are well. We are heading into the summer months with a full head of steam, and the activities that will be taking place at St. Anna’s in the coming months are quite staggering. We will soon be ending our Sunday School Year, our annual Golf Tournament will take place, our Philoptochos will host their Membership Tea (replace tea with margarita’s), we have a full calendar of Sacraments to be celebrated, I will be attending our Metropolis Summer Camp with some of our youth, our new St. Anna Retreat at 8,000 Feet is on the calendar, the Bi-Annual National Clergy/Laity Congress is around the corner, and we haven’t even mentioned the Feasts of Ascension or Pentecost, yet! I am positive that I am forgetting something.

But there is something else I am certainly not forgetting, that is the biggest, singularly important, and the most historically significant event of the summer: the archepastoral visit to St. Anna’s by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America during the weekend of July 13-14, 2024. His Eminence is coming for what is known in Greek as the Thyranoixia – or the formal opening of the doors of a new church. I hope that we can all appreciate the magnitude of His Eminence’s desire to be with us as we finally complete our two-year long construction efforts. It is not standard practice for the spiritual leader of our National Church to conduct such services. Sandy, Utah may be the center of our spiritual lives, but it’s not exactly center stage throughout America.

But we must always remember our own history: when St. Anna’s was formally recognized as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, it was the newly installed Archbishop Elpidophoros who granted what was his first Charter. We were the first parish he formally established. And when he was here in 2021 to visit our parish on the eve of our Parish Feast Day, he promised to come back to the church, once completed, and open our doors. We accomplished our goals, we honored our promises, and we built our church. And he, honoring his promise to us, is returning to finish what we started. God is so good. I am so incredibly humbled by the fact that all of this is taking place and becoming a reality. It is so generous of His Eminence to take the time to be with us.

Let us also celebrate that this will be the first opportunity for us to welcome our new, local hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, who will be coming with the Archbishop. And friend to our St. Anna community, His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Amastris is also expected to participate. Three Bishops – Wow!

The details of the weekend’s events are quickly forming and will be communicated them to you very soon. Let us give thanks to our loving God, Who has made all these things possible, and let me give thanks to you, the visionary and generous parishioners of St. Anna’s, who have worked tirelessly for all that we enjoy. 

Quite a summer, right?!?

With Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please be aware that tomorrow morning, Sunday, April 14, we will take up a special collection for the benefit of the students and seminarians of our holy Metropolis of Denver, who are studying at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. Looking back at my years in theological school, it was a time of fervent faith, absolute dedication, joyful anticipation, diligent work, and a deep longing to serve Christ, and His Bride, the Church.

But like any other student in a graduate school setting, the financial challenges are daunting and plentiful. I am grateful that our Bishop Constantine is mindful of the challenges which our budding servant-leaders face, and extends to them a lifeline, through all our generosity, to ease the burdens. There will be a special collection basket placed in the exit of the narthex as we depart from the Divine Liturgy. Please be mindful of the sacrificial lives these students have chosen and honor the calling which they have received.

Anything offered in prayerful participation will be greatly appreciated.

With Love in Christ, 

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter